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Purinergic receptors in microglia: Functional modal shifts of microglia mediated by P2 and P1 receptors
Author(s) -
Koizumi Schuichi,
Ohsawa Keiko,
Inoue Kazuhide,
Kohsaka Shinichi
Publication year - 2013
Publication title -
glia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.954
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1098-1136
pISSN - 0894-1491
DOI - 10.1002/glia.22358
Subject(s) - purinergic receptor , microglia , receptor , p2y receptor , biology , neuroscience , purinergic signalling , microbiology and biotechnology , downregulation and upregulation , adenosine receptor , immunology , biochemistry , inflammation , gene , agonist
Microglia are sensitive to environmental changes and are immediately transformed into several phenotypes. For such dynamic “modal shifts”, purinergic receptors have central roles. When microglia sense ATP/ADP leaked from injured cells by P2Y 12 receptors, they are transformed into a moving phenotype, showing process extension and migration toward the injured sites. Microglia upregulate adenosine A 2A receptors, by which they retract the processes showing an amoeboid‐shaped, activated phenotype. Microglia also upregulate P2Y 6 receptors, and if they meet UDP leaked from dead cells, microglia start to engulf and eat the dead cells as a phagocytic phenotype. The P2Y 12 receptor‐mediated responses are modulated by other P2 or P1 receptors. In contrast, the P2Y 6 receptor‐mediated responses were not influenced by P2Y 12 receptors and vice versa. Microglia appear to use purinergic signals either cooperatively or distinctively to cause their modal shifts. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.